[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15414]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  (Ms. HAHN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, today we find our Nation in the midst of a 
government shutdown and in the shadows of a debt default.
  A week into the shutdown, the partisan gridlock in Congress is as bad 
as ever; but across the country, millions of Americans are finding new 
hope in the affordable health coverage on the online exchanges.
  Despite the more than 40 Republican attempts to repeal, defund, or 
derail this law, the Affordable Care Act is finally fulfilling the 
promise of dependable, affordable health coverage for millions of our 
fellow Americans.
  On opening day, the exchanges were inundated with millions of users--
Americans excited to learn more about their new coverage options. It 
was a little bumpy, as expected, but no fleeting Web page glitches can 
distract us from the fact that for the first time millions of uninsured 
Americans who have lived in dread that an illness or an accident could 
plunge them into financial ruin will finally have access to good 
coverage that they can afford.
  Today is a dark day here in D.C., but for the thousands of people I 
represent, a long night is ending. And that's worth celebrating.

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